Solo Camping for Two

When I talk about romance between adults, this is what I expect to see. When a story features adults, it doesn't always have to be extremely serious, sad, and depressing. Adults also fall in love, have fun, and have hobbies. Futari Solo Camp is a good example of this. It features two protagonists with a 14-year age difference. The male protagonist is 34, and the female protagonist is 20. The anime portrays each character's mindset very well, according to their age. They can't behave the same way because their experiences are different. Gen is a solitary man who prefers to dedicate his life to camping ratherthan meeting new people. He's not completely antisocial; he has a small circle of friends and has even had a romantic relationship before. He acts as the guide when it comes to camping. He's the one who tells us about different campsites, equipment, and offers some tips on how to camp. Shizuku, the female protagonist, is more lively and is the extrovert of the duo. She's a girl who isn't afraid to be direct, and she often brings the emotional core to the story because she's the least afraid of being vulnerable. So far, so good; finally, you can see adults on screen with whom you can empathize and relate. Despite mostly focusing on camping, it has some thoughtful episodes that are beautiful in terms of the message they convey. Heartbreak, career choices, the meaning of having a dream as a fully functioning adult in society. Futari Solo Camp doesn't limit itself to just one thing because it knows that the adult world is quite interesting when you start exploring the personal lives of its characters. The camping aspect is entertaining and educational, but you'll often prefer to see how the romantic/dramatic parts develop. Without a doubt, the anime doesn't disappoint in any narrative aspect. Where it does disappoint is in the visual department. The anime focuses so much on backgrounds and landscapes that the budget for character design seems insufficient. Often, body proportions appear off, and the anatomy feels odd. Faces feel stiff and lack expressiveness where it should be most needed. All of this is compensated for by the setting, but if you like to see every detail on screen, you'll notice it quickly. The visual flaws stand out very quickly; even if you don't want to see them, you'll notice them. Futari Solo Camp perfectly understands the adult vibe. It understands that we're often tired of work, life, and responsibilities. So, instead of opting for a dense story, it tries to deliver a story to help us relax, open a beer, take a good swig, and watch two people decide to climb a hill on their days off.

Food, drinks, and more food. Futari Solo Camp is a slice-of-life camping anime where most episodes consist of exactly that. Although straightforward, that simple formula is the reason why it works so well as a comfort anime. That simplicity also leaves a lot of room for the characters to carry the show. The anime has an adult cast, which helps it stand out a bit. That said, the characters don’t always feel their age, especially early on. Shizuku, in particular, was hard to like at the beginning. Her forcing Gen to take her camping made her come across as annoying. The good thing is that this doesn’tlast forever. As the series goes on, Shizuku actually develops, admits where she was wrong, and becomes a genuinely likable character. Futari Solo Camp also explains camping techniques and gear throughout the anime. I appreciate that it actually teaches you things, but some of these explanations go on longer than they need to. A few scenes could’ve been wrapped up much faster without losing anything important. Another minor issue is repetition, especially the exaggerated “umai!” (delicious) reaction after every meal, which gets old after hearing it in almost every episode. Despite those minor annoyances, the show managed to pull me in more than I expected. I came into this purely for the slice-of-life aspect, but somehow ended up really invested in the characters and the romance side of the story. The show does a good job making the cast likeable, to the point where it’s hard not to care about how their relationships develop. I didn’t expect to get attached, but I did. So even though it’s not perfect, I had a lot of fun watching this one. I found myself looking forward to a new episode each week to relax and watch. While the repetition and wordy explanations hold it back from being truly great, the characters and relaxing atmosphere were more than enough to earn it an 8/10 for me.

Futari Solo Camp is a fantastic, ambient slice-of-life story that portrays an endearing relationship between two campers. It was a very enjoyable watch, with well-paced episodes, excellent sound production, and strong character writing. Overall, this is one of the best anime released in 2025, especially if you’re a fan of the SoL genre. As expected from a slice-of-life series, there isn’t a central plot driving the show forward. Instead, it focuses on personal growth and the gradual development of relationships. The episodes follow a fairly consistent “recipe,” which on a few occasions, when other developments were lacking, felt slightly disengaging. However, this only happened a coupleof times across the 24-episode run, so it’s a minor complaint at most. In fact, that same formula often works in the show’s favor, keeping the viewing experience comfortable and engaging. Combined with strong pacing, character subplots, and plenty of cute moments, the result is a very pleasant and relaxing watch. Character writing is one of the anime’s strongest points. Both Gen and Shizuku are well-written and avoid feeling overly trope-heavy, despite essentially being an adult take on the “loner boy, popular girl” dynamic. Most of the side characters are likeable and serve a clear purpose. In Gen’s case, Akihito and Kana are used effectively to explore his backstory in a natural, unobtrusive way. Some side characters, such as Yui, feel slightly forced into the narrative to push certain developments forward, but this doesn’t detract too much from the overall experience. Gen and Shizuku’s growth throughout the series feels organic; their actions and motivations are believable and consistent. Altogether, the cast is really enjoyable to follow. There isn’t much to say about the art beyond the fact that it’s solid. It’s not groundbreaking, but it’s far from bad. The backgrounds are pleasant and suit the setting well, though the animations can occasionally feel a bit slideshow-like. Where the visuals truly shine is in the character designs. Each character looks distinct and visually matches their personality, while maintaining the anime’s grounded, cozy aesthetic. Facial expressions, especially Shizuku’s, add a lot to the show’s charm and cuteness. That said, there are a few brief moments of questionable 3D CG that feel unnecessary and slightly jarring, though they’re short enough to be more funny when they catch you off guard than distracting. Overall, the art is good and perfectly serviceable. The absolute strongest aspect of the anime, however, is its sound production and OST. While the soundtrack isn’t particularly memorable on its own, it does an excellent job of enhancing the atmosphere. Happy moments feel warmer, relaxing scenes feel calmer, and emotional moments hit harder because of it. It’s exactly what you want from an OST in a series like this. Even more impressive are the ambient sound effects. For an anime set largely in nature, ambient audio can make or break the experience. Here, it absolutely succeeds. The environmental sounds add an incredible sense of immersion. Voice acting is solid across the board, and both the openings and endings are fine. Altogether, the combination of strong OST and high-quality ambient sound design is what elevates this anime from a good slice-of-life to a fantastic viewing experience. If it wasn’t already obvious from my glazing, I really enjoyed watching this show and I am genuinely hoping for a second season. I can easily see myself rewatching it in the future, and I’m strongly considering picking up the manga as well. As it stands, this is easily at the top of the 2025 anime I’ve seen so far. In conclusion, Futari Solo Camp, with its stellar cast, comforting atmosphere, great pacing, and exceptional sound production, makes for a wonderful watch. It’s a must-watch for fans of the slice-of-life genre, and I’d also recommend it to anyone who doesn’t mind an anime that prioritizes mood and character over dopamine-farming fight scenes and fan service.